Container



NOV. 7, 1933. F WESTERBECK 1,933,779

CONTAINER Filed Jan. 26, 1951 @T7-GEMA??? Patented Nov. 7, 1933 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Application January 26, 1931. Serial No. v511,208'y 1 claim. V(C1. 22u-54")- This invention Yrelates to containers ofkthe type wherein a ortion of the container is torn to unseal and openthe container. For example', a sheet metal may be permanently sealed atthe top and bottom, and provided With Weak circumferential lines toproduce a removable `portion adapted to beitorn from the can body.

One of the. objects is to produce a Ysimple and inexpensive container ofthis type, having its elements so combined with each other that thecontainer can be easily manufactured, readily scale-:band convenientlyopened. The closure is adapted to serve as a lid, or closure, for theeen body when the container is sealed and aiso when the removableportion is torn from the container. Y

More specifically stated, an object is to pr0 duce a simple can bodyhaving .a closure seat below the removable portion which is torn irom`the body, thereby eliminating the relatively expensive additionalelements usually employedtothe removable tearing strip, I eliminate theseparate, or additional, elements referred to above.

The spe-cie structure hereafter described includes other advantageswhich will be apparent to those skilled in this art. Y

With the foregoz'urr and other objects in View, the invention comprisesthe novel construction., combin ienand arrangement of parts hereinaftermore speciiically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention. However, itis to be understood that the invention eomprehends changes, variationsand modiiicatioils which come Within the scope of the claim hereuntoappended.

' Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a sheet metal can embodying the featuresof this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section on Vthe line 2--2 in Fig. 1,showing the vertical seam which extends from the bottom of the Y can tothe tearing strip.

.o Fig. 1il isan enlarged vertical section showingv a portion of the canvbody Qand'closure as they appear beforethe closure is connected to thecan body. f. Y A

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section Ion the line 5--5 inV Fig. 5,showing `hovv they closure may be permanently unitedqwith the uppemargin of .theCan body. f

Fig.` 6isa View similar to Fig. 5, with the tearingstrip removed and theclosure seated onv a portion of `the canV body entirely below theformeilocation of the tearing strip. I-Will now describe the`accompanying drawingvvhich illustratesrone form 'of the invention.

The can body A may be connected to the bottom by means of a seam 6,1inthe usual or any seam includes a ilange on the closure interlockedWith'a ilange 9 at the upper margin of the can body.

After the can has been filled, the air may be exhausted'to create avacuum, or partial vac- 180 uum, in the can body. The closure may beapplied as shown in Fig. Land the flanges 8 and 9 may then be'forced tothe positions shown byA Fig. 5,so as to forma seal at the junction ofthe closure and can body. However, the inven. tion is not limited'tothese details. Y

` The can body isl weakened in circumferential lines 10 to provide aremovable portion 11 adapted to betorn from the Vcan body. As shown byFigures 1 and 3, agfree'tongue 12 extends from this removable portion,said tongue being adapted to receive a key or other device whereby thestrip 11 is removed.` Y

The vertical portion of the, can body may bek a single sheet of metalhaving its vertical edges connected by means of an' interlocking seam 13(Figures 1 and 2) extending from the bottom of the can to the lowerweakened line 10, Where the vertical seam terminates and merges Vintoplain lapped portions 111V and 15 united by solder ,y 16 (Figures land3). These plain lapped portions 14 and 15 extend from the closure' B tothe upper end of the vertical seamy 13. The free tongue 12 extends fromthe outer lapped portion 14, and this portionA has an inclined edge 16(Fig. 1) extending from the upper weakened line 10 to the closure'. Y

A V-shaped recess is thus formed vbetween f the inclined edge 16 and thetop ofthe tongue'. 12, and the point of this` V-shaped recess is inVvertical alinement with the outer vertical fold in the seam 13, as shownin Fig. 1. Y

Since the lower edge of the tongue 12 extends from said vertical fold,while the upper edge extends from the point of the J-shaped recess, thetearing operation is positively started at the weakened lines 10.

' I` will now describe the closure and elements associated therewith asshown most clearly in Figures 5 and 6.

The closure includes a top wall 17 and a two-V ply flange 18 connectingsaid top. wall to the seam '7.' The metal is folded Vat the lower edgeof the flange 18 to provide a smooth rounded edge.

When the can is sealed,` the closure extends into the can body andengages the inner face of the upper margin 19 which is permanentlyunited with the closure. In the preferred form of the invention, theclosure also engages the inner face 'of the removable tearing strip 11,as shown in Fig. 5.

It will be importantto observe that the can body includes a closure seat20 belowthe removable strip 11. Aninternal bead 21 is formed below theseat 20. Y

When the elements are'arranged as shown in Fig. 5, the removable tearingstrip 1l separates the closure from the seat 20, but when said strip isVremoved, the closure fis'detached and may be applied to the canas shownin Fig. 6, wherein it extends `into the can body and frictionallyengages said seat 20. The bead 2l then serves asa stop to limit theinward motion ofl the closure. f

- The simple can body includes the upper margin 19 permanently securedto the can body, the removable tearing strip 11 immediately below saidupper margin, and the auxiliary closure`-4 seat 20 below the tearingstrip. These simple elements can be conveniently made of the samediameter, corresponding to the diameter of the can body, without the useof any additional'elements to receive the closure whenA the tearingstrip is removed.

In other words, an ordinary simple can body of uniform diameter may beformed with the novel combination and arrangement of elements to producea very simple key-opening can, having the advantages of more complex andexpensive cans of this type.

I claim:

A container comprising a sheet metal can body having a closure unitedwith its upper margin, `said can body being weakened in circumferentiallines to provide a removable portion adapted to be torn from the canbody, said can body having an internal closure seat extending downwardlyfrom its upper edge, across the inner face of said removable portion andinto an area below said removable portion, said closure being providedwith an intergral two-ply flange folded at its lower edge, said integraltwo-ply iiange being extended downwardly from its upper edge, across theface of and in contact with said removable portion, said integraltwo-ply flange being separated from the lower lportion of said internalseat when the `container is Vsealed, and adapted to engage said lowerportion when said removable portion is torn from the can body, said canbody being provided with an internal bead locatedv below said lowerportionof the internal seat and serving as a stop for the closure whensaid removable portion is torn from the can body. VFREDERICK NESTERBECK-

